Anyone been to Taiwan with DC?

[meshuggeneh]

Planning a trip for just over a week with my DC aged 8.
Trying to figure otu an intinerary but can't quite work it out. Obviously Taipei but also want the north-east corner with the geopark and the cute villages. Then I want to go to Taroto gorge. But from there I was thinking of Taichung and sun moon lake. Also want to end with a theme park. But I can't figure out the best way to get from Taroto to Taichung and SML. I dont' mind hiring a car but the drive across the island seems a bit insane. The other option is to drive/train around via Taipei.
Any ideas, hints or tips?

Hi
we were booked to go but covid hit! It looks amazing but like you we struggled a bit with transport! In the end we decided to get somebody to drive us as many of the places we wanted to go werent easy to reach via public transport and the roads look pretty hairy to drive on!
hope you have an amazing time!

I went to Taiwan in 2018 and I enjoyed it. Very green country and well connected by train. I only stayed in Taipei which I found quite industrial but nice. English wasn’t widely spoken when I went so struggled to get around. I don’t think I encountered anyone who spoke English except those who work at the airport.

I would learn a few phrases to help you get around. I enjoyed Tamshui District which is a little out of the city centre but still part of Taipei. And then there are the obvious places like Taipei 101 & Elephant Hill (or something - it’s a hike to see Taipei 101). Good luck with your trip!

Thanks for the input.
In the end I'm going to give sun moon lake a miss.
We're going to do
Taipei > train to Hualien and then hire a car to see Taroko Gorge > train back to Taipei > car hire for a day to see Jiufen and the geopark and cat village > Train from Taipei to Taichung, couple of days here (including theme park) and then train to Taipei airport and home.
So I'll only hire a car for 2 days altogether for day trips and the rest will be done by train which will be less stressful I think.
Really excited - I've wanted to see Taiwan for years!

Just want to say Taiwan is AMAZING!!! We loved it.
I didn't hire a car in the end and managed on public transport.
I don't understand how this country is not overrun with tourists. It really is a hidden gem.